Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Tripolis

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $935 a month against $1,354 in Tripolis, rent and utilities included – about $5,000 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
Learn more

Chiang Mai Living Index
65

Cost of Living Index in Tripolis
Learn more

Tripolis Living Index

Jump to prices

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$935

/mo nomad

Tripolis

🇬🇷 Greece

$1,354

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chiang Mai and in Tripolis

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Chiang Mai and in Tripolis actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $935 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,354 in Tripolis, rent included.

Chiang Mai $935
Tripolis $1,354

A couple spends around $1,467 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,072 in Tripolis, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,467
Tripolis $2,072

A family of three spends $1,999 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,789 in Tripolis, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,999
Tripolis $2,789

Chiang Mai is about 31% cheaper than Tripolis, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.13 ฿71.4

$16.60 €14.78

-87.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.62 ฿623

$49.91 €44.44

-62.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.60 ฿187

$10.25 €9.13

-45.37%

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿55.6

$4.16 €3.70

-60.10%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.65 ฿21.63

$2.67 €2.38

-75.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ฿10.20

$0.54 €0.48

-44.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.32 ฿77.7

$4.50 €4.01

-48.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 ฿123

$4.42 €3.93

-16.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.02 ฿67.4

$1.42 €1.27

42.25%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.08

$1.41 €1.26

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 ฿46.54

$2.67 €2.38

-47.94%

Eggs

$2.37 ฿79.2

$5.35 €4.77

-55.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.52 ฿552

$12.57 €11.19

31.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.67 ฿89.3

$9.37 €8.34

-71.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.02 ฿302

$12.98 €11.55

-30.51%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.2

$1.93 €1.72

24.35%

Banana (1kg)

$1.04 ฿34.82

$1.72 €1.53

-39.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.66 ฿55.5

$1.30 €1.16

27.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿52.1

$2.05 €1.82

-23.90%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 ฿41.39

$1.19 €1.06

4.20%

Onion (1kg)

$1.09 ฿36.34

$1.16 €1.03

-6.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.76 ฿25.47

$1.05 €0.94

-27.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿17.19

$0.81 €0.72

-37.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.12 ฿138

$5.11 €4.55

-19.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.93 ฿600

$6.90 €6.14

159.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 ฿54.3

$2.08 €1.85

-22.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 ฿94.4

$3.96 €3.52

-28.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 ฿31.25

$1.43 €1.28

-34.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.9 ฿1,769

$51.0 €45.42

3.69%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.18 ฿39.35

$4.32 €3.85

-72.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.17 ฿5.73

$1.06 €0.94

-83.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 ฿60.6

$16.83 €14.98

-89.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.25

$2.01 €1.79

-26.87%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$21.0K ฿702.6K

$29.9K €26.7K

-29.84%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$26.5K ฿886.7K

$25.8K €22.9K

2.95%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$62.6 ฿2,092

$207 €184

-69.72%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$11.60 ฿388

$23.70 €21.10

-51.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.30 ฿679

$33.89 €30.18

-40.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.88 ฿1,267

$42.16 €37.54

-10.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.70 ฿124

$26.98 €24.02

-86.29%

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 ฿218

$9.09 €8.10

-28.38%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$727 ฿24.3K

$418 €372

74.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K ฿554.2K

$8,890 €7,916

86.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ฿1,790

$98.9 €88.1

-45.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.80 ฿829

$42.42 €37.77

-41.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.4 ฿3,023

$95.9 €85.4

-5.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.0 ฿2,407

$125 €111

-42.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$481 ฿16.1K

$396 €353

21.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$310 ฿10.4K

$272 €242

14.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,058 ฿35.4K

$635 €566

66.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$659 ฿22.0K

$449 €400

46.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,418 ฿80.8K

$2,676 €2,383

-9.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,609 ฿53.8K

$2,188 €1,948

-26.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿19.9K

$1,139 €1,015

-47.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

4.44

25.45%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Chiang Mai: November 1, 2026

Last update for Tripolis: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$310 33.1%

Tripolis

$272 20.1% 12.3% $38

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$237 25.3%

Tripolis

$271 20% 14.6% $35

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.6%

Tripolis

$163 12% 50.4% $55

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Tripolis

$264 19.5% 180% $170

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$77 8.2%

Tripolis

$258 19% 237% $181

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$59 6.3%

Tripolis

$66 4.9% 13.1% $7.7

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.4%

Tripolis

$60 4.5% 18.5% $9.4

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $481 in Chiang Mai versus $396 in Tripolis. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 92% higher in Tripolis. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $50 in Tripolis. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $237 vs $271 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇬🇷 Tripolis

🕒 Local time

11:05 11:05 AM

06:05 6:05 AM

5 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

26,561

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 33.44 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.54 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 0.89 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Tripolis 7,590 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Tripolis

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Chiang Mai vs Tripolis: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tripolis costs about 45% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,403 per month in Chiang Mai and $2,032 in Tripolis. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Tripolis, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $396 there versus $481 in Chiang Mai.

Kindergarten costs $727 per month in Chiang Mai and $418 in Tripolis. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 15% more in Tripolis, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $935 in Chiang Mai and $1,354 in Tripolis. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Chiang Mai has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $935 in Chiang Mai to $1,354 in Tripolis. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

If budget matters most, go with Chiang Mai. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Tripolis makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.